Safety tackle block



April 11, 1967 R. A. OWENS 3,

SAFETY TACKLE BLOCK Filed June 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l /{/?f 2 Roy A aVia ra M & Z%

ATTORNEY April 11, 1967 R. A. OWENS SAFETY TACKLE BLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Q Filed June 20, 1965 Way /4. Owe/w INVENTOR. M 6.2%

United States Patent 3,313,526 SAFETY TACKLE BLOCK Roy A. Owens, 1002Bissonnet, Houston, Tex. Filed June 20, 1963, Ser. No. 289,365 3 Claims.(Cl. 254-491) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in asafety tackle block.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tackle block having asafety means therein to prevent inadvertent fall of-the load beingcarried by the tackle block.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tackle block having asafety device therein that will grip and lock the rope in the tackleblock upon the rope traveling through the block at an excessive speed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tackle block having asafety device therein that will lock the rope in the block upon a fallof the load and that may be readily and easily released and the blockreturned to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation tocertain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement ofparts more particularly defined in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the tackle block, with the outerhousing partially broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a top cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view in side elevation taken on the line33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the tackle block, shown with theouter housing removed and illustrating the safety means in lockingposition, and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view of the sheave locking means employed.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a tackle block housing inwhich is mounted the axle 2. A hollow coaxial shaft 3 is mounted on theaxle 2 and a rope receiving sheave 4 is mounted in the housing 1 androtates on the shaft 3. The sheave 4 has the rope receiving peripheralgroove 5 and the internal peripheral gear teeth 6. Mounted on the shaft3 are the idler roller support 7 and the pawl 8. Means are provided, asthe set screw 9, for anchoring the pawl 8 with the shaft 3 and axle 2.The idler support 7 is bracket shaped and has coaxial ports 10, 10 andthe toothed idler roller 11 rotatably mounted between the side membersforming the bracket. The pawl 8 is mounted between the side members ofthe bracket and has the passageway 18 by means of which the pawl ismounted on the axle 2. The pawl 8 is substantially wedge shaped, theside face of the pawl adjacent idler roller 11 being toothed to receivethe teeth of the idler roller 11.

Mounted on the shaft 3 and bracketing the sheave 4 is the line guide 12which is keyed to the shaft 3 by the keys 13, 13. The extended ends ofthe guide 12 is formed to cooperate with the groove 5 in the sheave 4 asa line guide for the rope mounted in the groove 5 of the sheave 4. Thesheave 4 is hollow and has a face plate 16 mounted thereon for access tothe interior thereof. Collars 17, 17 are formed on the inside ends ofthe line guide 12.

In operation, a rope 14 is mounted on the sheave 4 in the usual manner,being threaded through the line guide 12 and resting in the groove 5. Asthe sheave 4 rotates with the normal operation of the tackle block, theidler roller suspended from the shaft 3 in the idler roller support 7,meshes with the teeth in the sheave 4 and rotates freely with same. Inthe event of inadvertent fall of the load, or the like, causing thesheave to rotate at an excessive speed, the idler support will be swungin the direction of rotation of the sheave 4 until it contacts the pawl8 and the teeth of the roller 11 lock with the teeth of the pawl 8, andthe entire shaft 3 rotates, carrying with it the guide 12, moving theguide 12 from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to the position shown inFIGURE 4, and the rope 14 twisted and locked against the lower housingbolt 15, where the rope will be maintained against further movementuntil released. To release the lock, the rope 14 is backed off byreversing the pressure on the rope and reversing the direction ofrotation of the sheave 4 until the guide 12 is returned to the positionshown in FIGURE 1.

With the above considered a preferred form of the invention, by way ofillustration only, the broad principle of the invention is defined bythe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a tackle block, a housing, an axle mounted in said housing, acoaxial shaft on said axle, a rope receiving sheave on said shaft, theinternal periphery of said sheave being toothed, a pawl mounted on saidshaft and secured to said axle and having one longitudinal side margintoothed, an idler support suspended from said shaft and having a freelyrotatable gear in mesh with the teeth of said sheave, a line guidebracketing said sheave, the extended end thereof being formed to receivea rope, said guide being keyed to said shaft and said idler movable intocontact with said pawl to lock said sheave and line guide in rotatablerelation.

2. In a tackle block, a tackle block housing, an axle extending throughsaid housing, a hollow shaft coaxially mounted on said axle, a sheaverotatably mounted on said shaft, the inner periphery of said sheavehaving gear teeth, a pawl mounted on said shaft and extending laterallytherefrom, one longitudinal side wall of said pawl being toothed, abracket embracing said pawl and suspended and freely rotatable on saidpawl, a rotatable gear on said bracket in mesh with 'the teeth of saidsheave, a line guide keyed to said shaft and having one end extendedlaterally therefrom, rope receiving means on the extended end of saidline guide, said rotatable gear being adapted to rotate freely insuspended position during normal rotation of said sheave and beingadapted to move with said sheave at excessive speeds into contact withthe teeth of said pawl, locking said shaft with said sheave and rotatingsaid line guide into rope locking position.

3. In a tackle block, a tackle block housing, an axle extending throughsaid housing, a hollow shaft coaxially mounted on said axle, a sheaverotatably mounted on said shaft, the inner periphery of said sheavehaving gear teeth, a removable face plate on said sheave, a pawl mountedon said shaft and extending laterally therefrom, one longitudinal sidewall of said pawl being toothed, a bracket embracing said pawl andsuspended and freely rotatable on said pawl, a rotatable gear on saidbracket in mesh with the teeth of said sheave, a line guide keyed tosaid shaft and having one end extended laterally therefrom, ropereceiving means on the extended end of said line guide, said rotatablegear being adapted to rotate freely in suspended position during normalrotation of said sheave and being adapted to move with said sheave atexcessive speeds into contact with the teeth of said pawl, locking saidshaft with said sheave and rotating said line intorope locking position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 590,759 9/1897Hartshorn 254191 1,636,273 7/1927 Baker 254-191 2,313,437 3/1943Hedenberg 18865.l

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A TACKLE BLOCK, A HOUSING, AN AXLE MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, ACOAXIAL SHAFT ON SAID AXLE, A ROPE RECEIVING SHEAVE ON SAID SHAFT, THEINTERNAL PERIPHERY OF SAID SHEAVE BEING TOOTHED, A PAWL MOUNTED ON SAIDSHAFT AND SECURED TO SAID AXLE AND HAVING ONE LONGITUDINAL SIDE MARGINTOOTHED, AN IDLER SUPPORT SUSPENDED FROM SAID SHAFT AND HAVING A FREELYROTATABLE GEAR IN MESH WITH THE TEETH OF SAID SHEAVE, A LINE GUIDEBRACKETING SAID SHEAVE, THE EXTENDED END THEREOF BEING FORMED TO RECEIVEA ROPE, SAID GUIDE BEING KEYED TO SAID SHAFT AND SAID IDLER MOVABLE INTOCONTACT WITH SAID PAWL TO LOCK SAID SHEAVE AND LINE GUIDE IN ROTATABLERELATION.